for a minute, then I’ll find her a blanket.” Rio followed Rafe inside. “Rafe says you’re still cold,” he said to Kristi. “I’ll find you another blanket. You also need to drink fluids. What soft drinks do you like?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I usually drink water or herbal tea.”
A nod. “I can work with that. Does your head still hurt?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Rio turned on the dim light near her bed, then turned off the overhead light. “Better?’
“Much. Thanks, Rio.”
“No problem. I’ll be back with the blanket and a drink.”
As Kristi snuggled deeper into the pillow and tugged the blankets up to her chin, Rafe sat on the chair. Kristi struggled to stay awake as her pain medication kicked in.
Ten minutes later, Rio returned with a blanket in one hand and a to-go cup in the other. “Chamomile tea with a little sugar.” He set the cup on a rolling table and draped the third blanket over Kristi. After raising the head of the bed so she could drink the tea, he pulled a bottle of water from his cargo pocket. “Drink the water after you finish your tea.”
“Thanks, Rio.” She reached for the tea with a trembling hand as the medic left the room.
Afraid she might drop the cup and burn herself, Rafe wrapped his hand around hers to hold the cup steady. Kristi flicked him a glance, but didn’t comment.
After sipping a quarter of the drink, her hands stopped trembling. “I can hold the cup now. Thank you.”
When Kristi finished the tea, Rafe encouraged her to drink part of the water. Afterward, he murmured, “Rest now, Kristi.”
“What if the kidnappers find me again? I don’t want to be caught sleeping.”
“I’ll handle it. Trust me.”
She sighed, her eyes closing. “Thanks, Rafe. I feel safe with you here.” Kristi fell silent, and soon, her breathing settled into a regular rhythm.
Rafe kept watch over Kristi while she slept, listening as the noise level in the corridor slowly increased as the day’s activity at the hospital cranked up.
A light tap sounded on the door. Jackson Conner, his team’s medic, walked inside the room. He nodded at Rafe and glanced at Kristi. “How is she?” he murmured.
“Been asleep for two hours. Bruises, headache, and a good case of adrenaline dump.”
“Concussion?”
“Nope, just a goose egg.”
“Good.” Jackson studied the bed. “She’s buried under a ton of blankets.”
“I was freezing,” Kristi said sleepily and opened her eyes to stare at the medic. “You must be a friend of Rafe’s. I’m Kristi.”
“Jackson. I’m Wolf Pack’s medic.”
She blinked. “Wolf Pack?”
“That’s the name of my team.” Rafe rose. “How do you feel?”
“Hurts to move.”
“When will the doctor release her?” Jackson asked Rafe.
“After her test results come back. Should be soon.”
Another knock at the door. This time, Jon Smith, another teammate, poked his head in. “Orderly says he’s supposed to take the lady for a CT scan.”
Rafe frowned. Anderson hadn’t mentioned a CT scan.
“Come on, man,” the orderly snapped. “I need to get moving. If I hold up the med tech, I’ll be hearing about it the rest of my shift.”
His frown deepened. Not Stan. This orderly raised a red flag in his mind.
“I don’t understand,” Kristi said. “Dr. Anderson said I didn’t have a concussion. Why do I need a CT scan?”
Rafe looked at Jackson, eyebrow raised.
“Shouldn’t need one. Call Anderson to confirm the order.”
He tipped his head to the door. “Hold this guy off. I don’t want him in the room until I clear this with Dr. Anderson.”
Jackson walked into the corridor, closing the door behind him as Rafe pulled up the doctor’s cell number on his contact list. Yeah, he’d been a guest at Memorial Hospital a few times during his training at PSI. Josh Cahill and his teammates were sadists.
When the doctor answered his phone, Rafe said, “An orderly is outside of Kristi Stewart’s door, saying he has orders to take her for a CT scan. Did you authorize this test?”
“Absolutely not. I’m on my way to her room now.”
Rafe ended the call. “Let’s get you into the bathroom, Kristi.” He tugged off the blankets and lifted Kristi into his arms.
She gasped and bit off a soft moan, her face draining of color.
“Sorry,” he murmured as he carried her into the bathroom. Inside, he set her on her feet and kept his hands on her shoulders until she was steady. “You good?”
A nod, but she was too pale for his liking.
“Stay here until I tell you to come out.”
She caught his hand. “Be careful.”
His heart turned over in